Friendship
by imloco2
Summary: Moya tries to comfort John


The little drd remained in the corner of the room, unmoving. Through it, Moya watched as John fell to his knees. She heard his cry, she felt his pain.  
  
She loved all her charges, would give her life for them if necessary, but she had always felt a special connection with the human. He had shown himself to be a true friend to her and her offspring. He had brought something to the ship when he came. She didn't have a name for what it was, but she knew it had made life better for the others on the ship. The feelings they now shared translated into peace for her. Her sense of being alone had been replaced with one of belonging. This was true of all the beings that lived within her walls. No one was alone anymore, they had each other. This is what he had done for them.  
  
If only Moya could do something for him now. She was unsure what was causing him such distress, but she knew it had something to do with the Sebacean woman. She knew Aeryn had come back from her journey with Talyn changed, and she and Pilot did not have the same connection with her that they used to. The last encounter between the two had not gone well. Moya could only wonder at what had happened to cause the human such pain and anger. She had felt his rage as objects flew into the sides of her inner hull. Less than a nanoseconds pain, yet she felt it keenly. To see him hurt and alone was more than she could bear.   
  
She had severed the connection from the drd to Pilot, not wanting Pilot to see what she was seeing. Somehow, it did not seem right that anyone should know. This was a private grief and even Moya was uncomfortable witnessing it. She would have turned the drd around and left him then, but an idea came to her. She had no way of knowing what the human needed to calm him. She could only share something that she loved and hope it was enough.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
John sat with his back to the wall, knees drawn up and head buried in his arms. Despair threatened to swallow him whole. It was bad enough remembering Aeryn's last words to him, but what he had said to her.... That was not the way he wanted to leave things between them.  
  
It's a little too late for that, don't you think? The voice in his head mocked him. She was gone and he was alone. He had been here for arns, trying to pull himself together. He couldn't remember a time when hope had been so hard to hold on to. It was slowly slipping from his grasp and he didn't know how to get it back.  
  
So engrossed in his misery was he, that it took him a long time to notice the pressure on his leg. Rhythmic and deliberate it continued. *bump* *bump* *bump* He lifted his head to look down at the drd beside him.  
  
As soon as John looked up the nudging stopped.  
  
"What?" John's voice was thick with emotion. Now, what was the problem? He wasn't up to dealing with anything, emergency or not. He put his head back down.   
  
"Damn it!" There it was again. Why couldn't they just leave him alone. He sighed and decided it was useless to try and ignore it.   
  
"Pilot."  
  
"Yes, Commander?"  
  
"Is there a problem?"  
  
"No, Commander. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Did you send a drd down here for anything?"  
  
"No, Commander. There are no drd's reported in your area." Pilot's voice was puzzled. "Is there a problem?"  
  
The little drd's antenna's were waving back and forth, blinking. For reasons John couldn't explain, even to himself, he decided not push the issue. Perhaps he was just too drained to care.  
  
"No, Pilot. No problem. Nevermind." The drd stood there silent now, watching him. It turned suddenly and moved towards the door, swinging back to continue looking at him.  
  
John wiped a hand over his face. It looked like the little guy wanted him to follow him. His laugh was hollow to his own ears.   
  
"This is a joke right? Somebody told you about Lassie?" He looked around the room. "Hell, I didn't tell anyone about Lassie."  
  
The drd beeped then and continued to the door, turning once again.  
  
"All right. All right. I'm coming. What do I have to lose." The look on his face would have worried his friends, if they had been there to see it.  
  
He followed the drd out the door.  
  
* * * *  
  
He was down in the bowels of the ship where few if any of the crew had ever gone. He had been this way only once, when the energy rider had been onboard, but he hadn't seen this section of the ship. The drd sped along, stopping only to make sure he was following.  
  
Through the haze he had been in since Aeryn left, he felt a tiny stirring of curiosity. What in the hell was the drd doing? The better question was, why was he following it?   
  
Finally, the drd stopped at a small opening in the corridor. A panel swung open and the drd was obviously expecting John to follow him in. John stooped to look inside, seeing nothing but a very small empty room. The little drd began waving his antennae and beeping, obviously wanting John to enter.  
  
"Well, what the hell." John was down on all fours crawling into the opening. There was a reason for all this and he wanted to know what it was. He wondered if perhaps something was damaged and the Moya wanted it repaired without Pilot knowing about it. But, surely Moya wasn't keeping secrets from Pilot?  
  
Once in the room he looked around. He didn't have space to stand up and the whole thing was only about twice his size. He turned to look at the drd who was still beside him.   
  
"Okay. You've got me here. Now what?"  
  
With that the door closed behind him with a snap. He twisted around to try and open it but it didn't budge.  
  
"All right. This is weird. Pilot?" He was getting nervous. There was no answer. He glanced up and around, trying to find a reason for what was happening.   
  
"Moya?...Is that you?" He looked at the drd in the dim light and bent down to speak to it directly. "I don't know what I did to piss you off, but I'm sorry, okay. It's been a bad day, you know."  
  
There was no response.  
  
He sat back against the wall and tried to care. He should be trying to figure a way out. Calling 911, something. Instead he just sat, unmoving, waiting for whatever was going to happen.  
  
It happened suddenly. A section of the wall slid open, revealing a wide view of the stars and graceful wings of Moya's body. The opening must have a shield over it, like the terrace, because he wasn't dying. Yet. Was this what Moya wanted him to see?  
  
He heard it before he felt it. A high pitched sound, starting out faint and gaining in strength as it got closer and closer. The rumble started soon after. He suddenly knew what it meant. Starburst!  
  
"Oh, shit!" He tugged on the door. He wasn't looking forward to getting fried by the energy tumbling through the chambers. They were awfully close to the Starburst chamber that had melted drd pike.  
  
"Pilot! Let me out of here!" There was no response from Pilot. In fact there was no response from anyone. He fell back and looked at the little machine next to him. "Looks like it's just you and me Lassie." He couldn't even feel angry at the drd for luring him here. The energy drained out of him and he sat and waited for whatever came next, as Moya continued to prepare for Starburst.  
  
What came next, he couldn't have imagined. As he sat there the small room began to glow. Patterns of energy ribboned the interior of the room. It reminded him of one of those globes with the electricity inside that followed your hand. He could feel the tingle just under his skin as the energy moved around him and through him. It was...incredible.   
  
Moya was almost at full Starburst before John realized he might not die after all. It seemed the walls were structured so that none of the force or lethal energy from the Starburst chamber could reach in here. As the sensations flooded his mind he looked out the window. He could see the back of Moya, the blue glow enveloping her and suddenly they were in Starburst.   
  
He had been on Moya many times when she had performed the feat, but from this angle it took on a whole new meaning. Everything was...bright. And colorful. He could see nothing of course, but through the nothingness came a deep blue, bluer than any sky he'd ever seen, purple and yellow danced in amongst them too. The energy patterns mingled with the colors till it seemed like fairies dancing in their midst. The sheer beauty of it stunned him. Coupled with the sensations from the surging energy in the room, the effect was devastating. He had nothing to compare it to, except perhaps the joining with Zhaan.  
  
Before he was ready, it was over. The tingling under his skin subsided and outside the stars were shining once again. The door behind him opened with a click, but he made no move to leave. He understood now what it was Moya had tried to do. The sensations he had been feeling...the colors and the patterns, were all things she felt when she starbursted. She was sharing with him something private. She was trying to make him feel better.   
  
Hating to disturb the quiet he looked around at his new sanctuary and whispered. "Thank you, Moya." He leaned over to the drd still there with him. "I owe you one buddy." The drd beep once and sped away, leaving John to follow as he pleased.  
  
As he walked down the corridor he put out a hand and dragged it lightly along Moya's walls as he moved. He was surprised to find he felt better. Not good, but better. After all, the future wasn't written in stone. He was alive and so was she. As long they were, there was always a chance. He could wait.   
  
* * * *  
  
Moya watched as the human moved slowly at first, then at a quicker pace. She felt his hand against her body, skimming along her length with a light touch, and she felt a sense of satisfaction. She was glad she had shared part of herself with him. And as she flew on through the darkness, she hoped he knew, he was not alone. 


End file.
